The present invention relates in general to a biopsical fiber scope for medical biopsical examination purposes, or particularly to a biopsy fiber scope which is operable by a single operator for selective orientational control and delicate biopsy procedure in a living internal organ of a patient or a laboratory animal.
Recently, following the extensive improvement in medical technology, there have been developed and extensively practiced a variety of medical instruments for biopsical examinations which can be directly inserted into such internal organs as stomach, duodenum, colon, etc. of a patient or a laboratory animal and which have been adapted to observe and take a tissue sample of a designated part of the living internal organ. Some typical examples of such biopsical medical examination instruments are a fiber scope developed by Hirschowitz (phonetic) which comprises a bundle of optical fibers coated with a substance having a relatively small index of refraction on the outer circumference of a core having a relatively large index of refraction, and a biopsical fiber scope which was developed by Takagi et al. by combining a pair of forceps for biopsy use with that fiber scope as shown in FIG. 1. Another typical flexible fiber scope is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,775. These include a control unit housing with a branched conduit therein. A flexible hollow conduit is attached to the housing. An optic assembly is provided including an eyepiece assembly, a bundle of flexible optical fibers and an objective assembly to permit viewing of the area being examined.
Although such prior art fiber scopes presented an innovent practice in the field of biopsical medical examination on the living tissues, these biopsical fiber scopes are designed and constructed for use by an operator and at least one assistant during a medical examination in such a manner that while an operator proceeds with an examination of the interior tissues of the living organ by using a fiber scope, an assistant operates a forceps which is operatively connected to a trigger or the like disposed outside of the fiber scope, so as to take a tissue sample according to the instructions given by the operator.
In these instruments of such construction, it is essentially required that the operator and his assistant cooperate in harmony, which requires a well-prepared proficiency in the joint operation of a fiber scope, otherwise, an improper fiber scope operation would give pain or even a physical damage to a patient, and sometimes it was practicably difficult or even impossible to take a proper sample tissue quickly and correctly at the focal point which is being observed and targetted at by the operator. Such problems as experienced in the operation of the prior art fiber scopes are more or less attributable to the manner of operation which requires more than one operator, thus they have been very inconvenient to handle.
It would be advantageous in this consideration, if an improved biopsical fiber scope operable by a single operator for a proper biopsy operation is made available, which would overcome all such drawbacks as experienced in the prior art fiber scope and which still unsolved until now. In order to meet the above mentioned problems, it is deemed to be highly desirable to provide an improved medical instrument for biopsical examination which is operable freely for carrying out an orientational control and a series of biopsical manipulations by a single operator. For such purpose, it is essential to provide an improved biopsy fiber scope of such construction that there is provided a pair of forceps having a relatively short extension in an attempt to lessen flexion of a forceps operating wire extending from the forceps through a guide sleeve to the outside, whereby a progressive and recessive motion of the forceps per se may be readily and independently controlled, an orientational approach of the forceps toward a target spot of tissues may be finely and delicately controlled, and when taking a sample tissue, the forceps would not move unstably in any direction. This invention is essentially directed to meet such requirements.